


tell me three things (and maybe i'll fall in love)

by most_ardently_writes



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Nightmares, Pre-Relationship, Sharing a Bed, gasp there's only one bed, robin and heather are together actually, there's only one bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27981672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/most_ardently_writes/pseuds/most_ardently_writes
Summary: “I dunno. You know in Emma when she asks for one thing very clever, two things moderately clever, or three things very dull? Tell me three things.”And because Steve can’t resist himself, “You read Jane Austen?”Or the one where Steve isn't rich, there's only one bed, and Billy is just being helpful, okay?
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 1
Kudos: 73





	tell me three things (and maybe i'll fall in love)

**Author's Note:**

> I read a book that was very Christmasy and all I could think about was Billy and Steve sharing a bed after a long day of the party playing in the snow. Idk, I just like the idea of Billy running hot but having cold feet for some reason. And who doesn't love a "there was only one bed" fic.

Steve’s not rich, okay. Sure he lives in a big house, and sure he used to have a live-in nanny up until his parents decided he was too old for it, and okay fine, sure his family has legacy status in Hawkins, but he’s not rich. At least, that’s what he’s been trying to tell the kids for the past two hours, but _“I’ve been to your house, Steve. It’s massive”_ and _“Yeah, dingus. All the girls in school always talk about how big your house is...amongst other things.”_ And " _there’s kids around Robin, so maybe tone it down with the sexual innuendos."_

But they don’t realize that being rich doesn’t mean having a _billion_ empty rooms in his house. And so, after a long day of sledding and snowball fights, everyone decided (against Steve’s approval) that they should just spend the night at his place instead of I don’t know...going back to their _own_ houses with their _own_ beds.

But the worst of it comes when it’s time to do room assignments and everyone realizes that there’s only four rooms, and _“I’m not sharing a room with Mike”_ and _“C’mon, Steve. This is the only time I can talk to Heather without those brats around”_ and this is the worst time for him to say _“I told you so but I fucking told you so.”_

So yeah. Everyone thinks he’s rich. Nobody listens to Steve until the last moment. And now the rooms go a little something like this: Dustin, Mike, Lucas. Max and El. Robin and Heather. Which leaves…

“If you put your feet on me one more fucking time, Billy, I’m gonna-”

“The only thing you're gonna' do is stop hogging the covers.”

“It’s _my_ bed, which means _my_ covers and _my_ rules, so again, _Stop_ putting your feet on me.”

Billy drags his foot up Steve’s leg, sending a sharp chill up Steve’s spine. “Fuck, Billy,” Steve yelps as Billy chuckles next to him. “How are you always so hot, but your feet are freezing?”

“You calling me hot, pretty boy.”

“Don’t act like you don’t already know,” Steve snorts.

“I know, I just like to hear you say it.”

And Steve just sighs because Billy always says stuff like that and he’s too tired to overthink the words and entertain that small part of him that hopes there’s a tiny bit of truth in Billy’s words. But he’s too tired. And he’s laying next to a boy who makes his stomach flutter whenever he looks at Steve with his icy blue eyes and the boy who- won’t. stop. touching. him. with. his. cold. feet.

“If you don’t want me to bash you in the head with a spiked bat, I’d suggest you stop.”

“You gotta take me out first, Harrington.” He grins at Steve with that stupid smile that’s only reserved for him, and- yeah, Steve’s too tired for this.

“I’m going to sleep. Stay on your side of the bed.” Reaching over, he shuts off the lamp on the bedside. And he’s so tired, he’s asleep within seconds.

…

And then he’s not. 

He was in the middle of something that could only be a dream because no reality exists where ocean blue eyes are staring down at him with such a look of longing and something that Steve can only hope is love.

But this is not a dream. It’s reality. And reality is him almost freezing to death because Billy’s feet are on him again. He shoves Billy’s figure, but he doesn’t budge.

“Billy. Come on, man. Just move your feet.”

Billy shifts next to him but still doesn't move his feet.

“Dude, I know you’re awake, just move ‘em.”

Huffing, he rolls over, planning to shove Billy, but stops when he sees his face. Billy’s eyes are pressed together tightly, and there’s tear tracks staining his face. His hands are balled up in fists, and he can just barely make out the formation of welts on his palms.

And Steve knows what this is because he’s been here multiple times before, and he knows what comes after the waking up is going to be so much worse than actually going through it.

Taking a breath, he nudges Billy once...twice...a third...and then jumps back. 

Billy’s eyes fly open wide and panic filled as he throws himself back against the wall, trying to become one with the wallpaper.

“Hey. Hey it’s just me,” Steve says, hands raised. “It was just a dream. You’re in my bed right now. You’re with me. You’re safe.”

Billy takes in the scenery, fact checking every statement. After a moment, he takes a breath, seemingly satisfied. 

Something must click in his mind that Steve is there because the panic quickly returns.

“Fuck, I’m sorry. I forgot about those. I should’ve told you. Warned you. Don’t tell anyone, okay? They’re just gonna make me do more tests, and I already told them I was okay, and just-” He shoves his palms into his eyes, choking on a sob. “Please don’t say anything.”

Steve moves back near him, cautiously crowding into his space.

“It’s fine, Billy. Really. I have them too. It’s not a big deal. I won’t say anything. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Billy nods, but says nothing. They sit there for what feels like hours, but is probably only a few minutes, before Billy slides back under the covers. Steve hesitates before following. 

After a moment, Billy speaks. His voice is gruff, and there’s still a bit of tiredness and fear in his voice. Steve scoots closer to him.

“Can you- Can you tell me something?”

“Tell you what?”

“I dunno. You know in Emma when she asks for one thing very clever, two things moderately clever, or three things very dull? Tell me three things.”

And because Steve can’t resist himself, “You read Jane Austen?”

Billy’s foot catches his leg, and Steve hisses. _Okay Billy’s getting better then._

“Okay, um. First thing. I guess I don’t like spinach.”

“You’re kidding me,” Billy says dryly. “How interesting.”

“I’m serious! I always tell the kids to eat their greens, but I hate it so much. It’s so slimy, and it smells bad.”

“No wonder you couldn’t plant your feet all those times. You didn’t have enough strength.”

“I have plenty of strength,” Steve counters.

“Yeah? Then why were you always on your ass around me? What, was my beauty too blinding for you?” He waggles his tongues at Steve, and Steve blushes. “Ha, you wish.” It’s a weak response, and he knows it. Billy knows it.

“Oh? You saying I’m not pretty, Harrington?” He sits up, leaning on his arm and staring down at Steve. “Am I not pretty enough for King Steve?” His tongue swipes over his lips, and Steve feels his mouth go dry as he watches him. 

The thing about Billy is that he’s so flirty and touchy feely, and it’s so different from what Steve’s used to and yeah he’s King Steve but that was back in high school, and nobody cares about that anymore, and being around Billy when he’s _so_ much like this, makes it really fucking hard for him to remember his King Steve skills and so much easier for him to understand how all those girls he used to make go weak in the knees felt. But his mouth has a mind of its own sometimes, so of course it’s acting on its own control saying, “Nah. You’re more than pretty enough for me.”

Billy’s eyes drop to Steve’s lips, but _his_ body listens to him, and he’s able to reign them back in. A smug grin slides onto his face, and he plops back down on the bed. “Course I am.”

“Okay, what’s number two,” he asks, nudging Steve with his foot. 

“Can’t you put some socks on or something?” Steve yelps.

“Nobody wears socks to sleep.

Seve grunts, and Billy nudges him. “C’mon, man. What’s number two? And please, make it more interesting than _not liking fucking spinach_.”

Steve hums, trying to think of something good enough that will keep Billy interested. “I like to be the little spoon,” he mumbles.

“The fuck did you just say?” 

“C’mon, man. Don’t make me say it again.”

“Well, don’t fucking mumble, and maybe I could hear you.”

“I like being the little spoon!” Steve says a little bit louder. He feels himself going red before he hears a chuckle leave Billy’s mouth. “Oh, come on man. You said you weren’t gonna laugh.” He huffs, getting ready to turn on his side, but Billy stops him.

“No, no it’s fine, it's just- really?”

“Yeah, I mean. After Nancy and I would...you know.”

“Fuck.”

Steve hits Billy in the gut, “Don’t talk about her like that.”

“Okay, okay. Didn’t know you still had a thing for the princess.”

“I don’t,” Steve says a little too quickly. “I just- We’re cool, now. So don’t talk about her, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Billy says after a moment. “So after you and the princess got together, you guys would just, what? Hold each other or something.”

“Yeah, I guess. She did it once, and I dunno- It felt good. Felt like I was safe or something.”

Billy blows out a breath next to him. “Remind me never to fuck you. Don’t need you going all soft and emotional the second we finish.” He lets out a laugh, but it’s one of those unsure ones that’s hiding something.

“If we ever fucked, you’d be the one going soft. Not me.”

“The last thing I’d be around you is soft,” Billy mumbles, and honestly what the fuck is Steve supposed to say to that.

Billy must realize it too, and the words hang in the air for a moment before he clears his throat. “But yeah. I could see why you’d like that.”

“What d’ya mean?”

“You know. You’re always protecting someone. Nancy, the brats, Robin…” There’s a silent _and me_ at the end of that statement, and they both know it. “You’re _good,_ you know, and everyone sees it, but not everyone knows how to give you that same feeling. So yeah, it makes sense that you’d find that protection in being swaddled to death.” 

And Steve’s never thought of it like that before. He is _good_ and _protective_ , and sometimes he just wants to be protected too. And that’s okay. A smile slides onto his face.

“Don’t get all soft on me, Harrington. Being a babysitter is nothing to be proud about,” Billy grunts.

“You think I’m good,” Steve says, satisfied. “Billy fucking Hargrove thinks I’m _good_.”

“Of course you are. You stick around with those brats ( _and me)_ all the time, and anyone who can deal with them ( _and me)_ has to be good. You act like no one’s told you that before.”

Steve grows quiet, picking at his nails. It’s not that he minds that nobody’s told him that before. He knows the kids are busy fighting interdimensional creatures, and Nancy’s busy actually doing something with her life, and Robin’s busy trying to get Heather’s attention, and his parents are busy ~~ignoring him~~ …traveling and doing business stuff, so yeah. Everyone’s busy. And that’s fine. Really.

Billy’s hand finds his under the cover. Fingers just barely touching Steve’s, taking him from his thoughts. “Steve, you are, good, you know. You’re really fucking _good_.”

Steve turns his head, watching Billy stare up at the ceiling. Despite the dark, he’s sure he can see a tint of red making its way up Billy’s face. “Alright, Harrington,” he says, clearing his throat. “One more."

“I just told you two.”

“The first one barely counts, and I asked for three things. Not two.”

“You’re the one asking for my help, so I don’t think you’re in the right position to be making deman-”

He yelps as Billy’s foot presses against his leg, sending a chill up his body.

“C’mon, Billy.”

“I’m still waiting.”

“Okay, but promise you won’t laugh,” Steve says, clenching his fist under the sheets.

“Did I laugh last time?”

“Yes, you did, actually!”

“Just tell me something.”

Steve hums as he tries to think of something good. Something even better last time. Billy deserves a good one especially now that Billy’s told him he’s _good_.

“Okay, okay. I...I’ve never kissed a guy.”

Billy _who’s never silent_ decides this is the perfect time to finally stop speaking. His soft breathing fills the air, and the silence is starting to get to Steve. Well not _starting_ . It is getting to him. And his stupid brain decides to stop working and doesn’t send a signal to his mouth to maybe _shut the fuck up_. So Steve speaks.

“I mean not that I should. Not that it’s bad to kiss a guy. I mean girls do it all the time. And I’m not a girl. And I’m straight? Yeah, totally straight. Maybe.” _Stop, Steve. Stop, just stop before you..._ “But Robin says you can like both, though. Which I think sounds good to me. But I’m still trying to figure that part out too, I guess.” _And now you’ve just come out to your high school “bully” turned whatever you guys are now. Great job, Steve. Great fucking job."_ And sometimes I wonder what it feels like, you know, if it’s different from kissing a girl.” Steve lets out a breath. “So yeah. That’s my third thing.”

The words leave his mouth, and the room falls back into silence. And Steve’s going to lose his mind actually. Trust him to half heartedly come out to a boy who doesn’t exactly hate him, but doesn’t exactly like him. Someone who he’s gotten closer to than quicker than anyone else in his life. Someone with icy blue eyes that makes Steve miss an ocean he’s never even seen...Someone who beat his fucking face in for no reason, and what if he’s one of _those_ types of people and now Steve’s just _giving_ him a reason to beat his fucking face in. Again.

Fuck Steve’s stupid brain that doesn’t send signals to his mouth to stop talking and-

_Umph._

Steve’s hallucinating. He has to be. But why would he be hallucinating? That doesn’t make sense. Okay, maybe he was dreaming then. No, he woke up from that. That’s what got him into this in the first place. Maybe he was drugged. Yes. Has to be. But how would that even happen? 

So if it’s not hallucinations, and he’s not dreaming or drugged then why else would lips that are definitely not his own, and definitely not a girl’s, being pressed against his own. Unless, this is in fact reality which would mean… 

And then the lips are gone.

Billy plops back down into his spot. “There, now you know.

“You kissed me,” Steve says, slowly.

“Wonderful observation skills.”

“But, why? Are you…” he trails off because Robin says not to guess anyone’s sexualities and to let them tell you first, but also he kind of hopes that maybe just maybe...Billy might be into him.

“You said you never kissed a dude before. I’m a dude. Just trying to help you out.”

“Oh,” Steve says dejectedly. Of course, Billy wouldn’t be into him like that. It’s fine. It’s just two maybe maybe not friends helping each other out. “Thanks then.”

It’s silent again, and Billy’s starting to fidget next to him. Steve knows that same feeling. He’s experiencing that same thing.

“Um, Billy.”

“What?” his voice is short, like he’s on the verge of hitting something or running away.

“I- Could you maybe-”

“Fucking spit it out, Harrington.”

“Why’re you always so impatient?” Steve huffs.

“Why do you always take so long to speak?”

“I’m just thinking.”

“Well, think faster.”

“I...just...Can you kiss me again?” 

Steve hears Billy choke on whatever insult he was about to say.

“I wasn’t ready last time. And then by the time I realized what was happening, it was over.”

He can already feel that he’s about to start rambling again, and Billy must realize it because he sits up again, suspending himself over Steve. Billy’s breath brushes over Steve’s lips, and something shines in those blue eyes of his. Looks like fear mixed with something else. Something that Steve knows is shining back in his own eyes. 

Billy seems to move in slow motion, but Steve’s heart hasn’t gotten the memo, and it pounds in his chest. 

And then…

Bliss. That’s the only way Steve can describe it. Complete and utter bliss. Billy’s lips are slightly chapped like he’s been nervously biting them, and his breath is a little stale since it’s the middle of the night, but _fuck it’s so perfect._

After a moment, Steve’s brain kicks in and the ghost of King Steve kicks in and all his experience comes flooding back to him. Raising his hand, he grazes the side of Billy’s face before settling. Billy practically sinks into the touch with a sigh and his body drops lower, weight pressing down harder on top of Steve. His hand finds Steve’s waist, sliding under his shirt. His fingers dance across Steve’s stomach, and a guttural moan escapes his mouth. 

“ _Billy, I_ \- FUCK!”

Steve jumps away the same time as Billy flinches. Their heads bang against each other, and they both sit up rubbing their soon to be matching bruises. 

“What the _fuck_ , Harrington?” Billy yells, murder in his eyes. 

Steve flinches away, a sheepish blush climbing up his face. “Sorry, I just-” His eyes flit to Billy’s uncovered feet. “Your feet are cold.”

“You gotta be-” Billy groans, dragging his hands down his face. “You know what. I’m too tired for this.” 

He flops back in bed, and Steve’s left sitting up by himself. 

“I really am sorry. It was an accident,” Steve starts. Of course he would mess up the one good thing all because he couldn’t control his impulses.

“I can hear you thinking,” Billy mumbles into his pillow. “It’s fine. Just lay down.”

Steve takes a minute before complying. He stares up at the ceiling, waiting to see if Billy is going to say anything else, but nothing comes. After a moment, he turns on his side, facing away from Billy. 

Billy’s breath starts to even out next to him, and Steve tries to stop his thoughts from spiraling again. Tries not to think of the fact that he’s probably never going to get to go swimming in Billy’s eyes again. Tries not to think why that bothers him so much.

He hears Billy shift next to him, and suddenly there’s an arm being wrapped around his waist and a warm breath tickling his neck. He feels himself tense up as Billy pulls him back against his chest. 

“I’m gonna touch you with my feet now,” Billy mumbles in his ear.

Steve nods, not trusting his voice. Billy’s feet move under the covers, and soon they’re entangled with his own. The cold sends a shiver through Steve’s body, but Billy squeezes Steve’s wasit, keeping him snug against his chest. A sigh escapes Steve’s lips and he wiggles, getting comfortable.

“Stop moving so much,” Billy mumbles into Steve’s neck.

“Sorry,” Steve says. And then after a moment. “Hey, thanks, Billy.” He wants to say more. Wants to say how he wants to go to sleep every night like this. Wants to kiss Billy again like earlier. Wants to see the ocean again. But Steve knows Billy isn’t ready for that. Not yet, at least. So he just says, “Really, man. Thanks.”

Billy says nothing, and for a minute, Steve’s sure he’s sleeping. And then there’s a hand intertwining with his, and there’s a kiss being pressed against his shoulder. 

“Go to sleep, Steve.” 

And he does.   
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I was thinking about posting a fic that shows what happened before [ like us, rules are meant to be broken](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27848502) Let me know your thoughts if you would be interested.
> 
> As always, any kudos or comments is much appreciated!
> 
> And come to talk to me on [ tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/none-but-y0u) :)


End file.
